Meeting Marion

6/2:

When the clouds of rain lift, Ireland is a totally different place. I'm in the top field and I look over my shoulder. For the first time, I see the sea! I can also now make out the many farms and cottages that mark the hillside. The flowers are vibrant as they soak up these few rays of sun. Marion (the french intern) and I have the afternoon off so we decide to take the bikes to Schull. The way is not far but walking up the hill we huff and puff until a sweat breaks on our brows. Just as we are getting ready for a break we reach the top house so we mount our bikes and ride full speed down into town. Marion knows the area better than I so she shows me around the piers and beaches. We stop at the pier to look down into the deep water and then walk to the beach where we can put our legs in. After, we bike to eurospar for a cool drink and some essentials.
When we come home, I help Marion with her cheese duties. We flip cheese and pull others out of the brine. Tiny cuts on my fingers burn from the salt. When we are done, we go upstairs to her apartment and we watch the French Open. She teaches me the rules and promises we'll go to a pub on Saturday to watch the semifinals.